journal · Public research summary
Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort study
Four/five versus zero factors: women 34.4 versus 23.7 disease-free years; men 31.1 versus 23.5. Differences of 10.7 and 7.6 are calculated from rounded endpoints.
Educational only. Associations do not establish individual risk or diagnosis. Read the original sources and limitations. Editorial review: 2026-10-06.
Citation
Li Y et al. · BMJ · 2020 · DOI: 10.1136/bmj.l6669
Study design
Prospective cohorts with life-table estimates
Population
73,196 women and 38,366 men in US health-professional cohorts; estimates at age 50.
Measured outcome
Life expectancy free of three disease groups
Finding
Four/five versus zero factors: women 34.4 versus 23.7 disease-free years; men 31.1 versus 23.5. Differences of 10.7 and 7.6 are calculated from rounded endpoints.
Limitations
Disease-free here means free of cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes—not every disease. Associations are not causal gains. No confidence interval for the arithmetic difference is inferred from endpoint intervals. Shares cohorts with Li 2018.
Habit topics
Move through the week; Build a plant-rich plate; Stay smoke-free; get support to quit; Read body-size findings in context
Interpretation
Research comparisons are not personal lifespan predictions. Years from different studies, habits, populations and outcomes cannot be added. Supporting studies do not validate the numeric estimate of another study.